Connecting With Your Students is Important

One of the key skills of an educational professional is the ability to adapt. As each school year brings a new class of unique students, it's important to realize that your 'old' teaching methods may not be appropriate or inspire this particular set of children to learn. The only way you'll be able to determine if your teaching techniques are working is to really get to know your students. Show Interest

While it can be easy to get caught up in what needs to be done and what standards need to be reached, take time to really listen to your students. Show them that you care by learning their names quickly, remembering details of your conversations, and offering concern for their problems. The more you know about your students, the more you can use their interests and abilities to develop inspired lessons.

Understand Their Background

There is always a link between a student's home and school lives. To understand where they're coming from, it can be helpful to explore this link. In most cases, if education is valued at home, this same attitude will permeate the student's work ethic and performance. The opposite can also occur. Learning about a student-family values can help you to squelch any false ideologies and prepare your class for genuine learning.

Melissa Coombe, an English teacher and contributor to Suite 101, has written an article on this very subject. Be sure to check it out for some more tips on teacher-student relationships.

 The Importance of Rapport in the Classroom: Understanding Students is Vital for Successful Education

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